


Duplicity

by ChaoticNeutral



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Betrayal, Bittersweet Ending, F/M, More Bitter Than Sweet, POV Adrien Agreste, Partner Betrayal, What Have I Done
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-21
Updated: 2018-10-21
Packaged: 2019-08-04 18:58:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16352330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChaoticNeutral/pseuds/ChaoticNeutral
Summary: With the discovery of his father being Hawk Moth, Adrien is forced to choose between his family and his partner. The revelation hits hard and the consequences even more so. But he is convinced that he can resolve this peacefully with one swift act. No more akumas. No more fighting. No more secrets. It will be better for everyone.Even if it means betraying Ladybug.Only thing was that his plan didn't seem to account for Ladybug.





	Duplicity

**Author's Note:**

> Because sometimes you have to make a choice. And sometimes there really is no going back.

* * *

 

The discovery of Hawk Moth’s identity wasn’t an easy one.

 

It was a shock. Seeing the villain there where his father had previously stood. He struggled to get his head around it—and to be quite honest, he never wanted to because this was his _father_ and he had been _hurting people_ and _attacking him!_

 

Hurt and desperate for answers, Adrien listened as his father explained his reasons with all the masterful art of the super villain he had allowed himself to become. If it were anyone else, Adrien might have commented on the method acting reminiscent of the stereotypical Bond villain. As it was, he was too numb to really think or feel much of anything. So all he did was stand there and listen while trying to gather some semblance of thought to form a plan and secretly lament that Ladybug wasn’t there to come up with one.

 

It was just him.

 

Just Adrien.

 

Just Adrien facing his father, who happened to be his worst enemy in more than one way now.

 

He wanted to run.

 

He wanted to hide.

 

And perhaps he would have.

 

But it all came down to one question.

 

“Wouldn’t you give anything to see your mother again?”

 

He would in a heartbeat.

 

~~That’s a lie. He never considered it, even when he discovered what the miraculous could do.~~

 

“Then you know what you have to do.”

 

* * *

 

 “Kid, I’m begging you here.”

 

“Plagg…”

 

“Don’t do this.”

 

“I have to.”

 

“No, you don’t! You fought against him before, remember?”

 

“That was before I knew why.”

 

“That doesn’t change what he’s done or excuse what he’s going to do!”

 

“He just wants to save Mom.”

 

“He can't save her! That power he's after is beyond his control—beyond anyone's control! It could destroy everything!"

 

"He has the book. He has to know what he's doing."

 

"Do you really believe that?"

 

~~No. But what choice did he have?~~

 

Seeing his hesitation, Plagg continued. "You can't save your mother at this point. But the people of Paris? You can still protect them!"

 

“I am protecting them! Once he has the Miraculous, he’ll bring her back and then we can be a family again.”

 

“Like you were before?” Came the snarl. “You can’t appease him! He’s not the type of person to accept what he’s given—it’s not going to be enough and he’s just going to reach for more!”

 

“You don’t know that!”

 

“His first thought upon finding a Miraculous was to become a super villain! I think that makes his mindset rather clear!”

 

“Once this is over, he’ll stop!”

 

“And you really trust him on that?

 

“Of course.”

 

~~No, he didn’t. But he would never speak against him.~~

 

“Please, Plagg. You're my best friend. But he's my father. Please...don’t make me choose.”

 

The kwami gave him a hard stare.

 

“It looks like you already did.”

 

* * *

 

When he transformed that night, it was with a sense of finality. This may very well be the last time he ever became Chat Noir. Once his father had both the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous and the wish was made, there was little likelihood that he would even see Plagg and the ring again, much less get to use them.

 

No matter how this night went, he knew he'd be losing someone he loved. And he hated it. He hated that he was in this position, hated that he had to make this choice, and hated that he knew he would be making the worst one.

 

He never wanted to hurt anyone. He had been so excited when he was chosen, and first became a hero to protect people.

 

But now...

 

For his mother. For his father. For his family, he would do anything. It meant having his family his family whole. And with this done, Paris would be safe. His father had assured him that he would stop sending out his akumas once the wish was made. He could end this all here and now if he simply handed both Miraculous over. No more fighting. No more monsters. It would all be over.

 

That was why, ignoring the pain grasping his heart and Plagg’s objections ringing in his ears, he went to meet with Ladybug for what would be the final time. What could he possibly say? How could he possibly make her understand?

 

He couldn’t. He knew that. She was a stubborn one, his lady. And that was why he would ask for forgiveness after, even if he knew it might never be given.

 

~~He wouldn’t deserve it, anyway.~~

 

* * *

 

He stood on one of the storefront rooftops waiting for her to arrive and trying to keep from talking himself out of his decision before Ladybug arrived. He had already made his choice. He couldn't back out now.

 

~~Yes, he could. He could acknowledge this was a horrible, horrible decision and not go through with it. He could talk to Ladybug, tell her what's going on, and they could come up with a plan together that might be able to fix things without hurting anyone. Just stop this!~~

 

He had to go through with it. He was doing this for his mother, his father, his family. And by doing this, he was ensuring the fighting stopped and that Paris would be at peace. That was for the greater good, wasn’t it? Wouldn't that be the best for everybody?

 

"Hey, Chat!"

 

Somehow, he couldn’t completely convince himself of this. Even as he forced a smile to Ladybug, he wasn’t able to meet her eyes.

 

"Good evening, my lady."

 

Whether it was the foreboding in the air or the tension in his own body, Ladybug seemed to sense it. She frowned and approached him with a hand reaching out in concern. “Chat, is everything alright?”

 

He straightened immediately, plastering a cocky grin she would be used to. “Of course!”

 

A lie.

 

So many lies.

 

What was one more?

 

“Hey, Ladybug…can I try something?”

 

It couldn’t be that easy.

 

She smiled— ~~please, please don't smile like that. Not at him.~~ “Try what?”

 

He approached her. “I just…I need to tell you something.”

 

It was cruel what he was doing.

 

But he was doing it for her as well.

 

Because she wouldn’t have to fight anymore. She could live a normal life without fear about akumas or magic or traitorous cat partners or any of it. She could just be a regular girl who only has to worry about school. She can be free of any of this—all the battles and injuries and constant danger, and finally find happiness with that boy who had apparently stolen her heart the way he never could.

 

Or at least, that’s what he tried to tell himself.

 

He forced himself to ignore the way she looked at him in confusion as he held her face in his hands and lifted her chin up towards him—all the easier to slip his fingers back further to her earrings.

 

It made his heart skip a beat as her hands rose to reach his own, holding his hands in hers in a gentle grip, like she was keeping them there—like she wanted his hands there.

 

Did she—?

 

He didn’t know. He wasn’t sure what she thought. He wanted desperately to know what she was thinking.

 

He wanted to kiss her.

 

No! He had to do this! Now was his only chance! He was closer to her than he’d ever been and close enough to take the earrings before she’d have time to react. Maybe even leave before he could see who she really was and compromise her identity—he could at least give her that much.

 

He owed her so much more than this.

 

He could do this.

 

He could take her earrings and complete his mission. He could ensure she was safe. He could save his mother. He could make his father proud. He could have a whole family again.

 

He just had to stay focused on this task.

 

Focus only on this task.

 

And was so focused on his task that he didn’t catch how Ladybug’s hand had so deftly slipped into his own until the ring was already eased off his finger. His eyes widened in shock, barely realizing what had happened as she pushed away from him and he found his transformation fading.

 

“L-Ladybug?” He gasped out, unbelieving as the last vestiges of his mask dissipated. Why would she—?

 

“Adrien.” She whispered, and it made his insides clench. There was no anger—he could have accepted that. No tears he could try to wipe away. No, she just gazed down at him with a look of such _disappointment_ that he wanted to curl up and cry.

 

“You know me?”

 

“I thought I did.”

 

That hurt. More than it should have but still less than he deserved.

 

“It’s his old man.” Plagg told her almost immediately after reforming from the ring. “His father. Gabriel Agreste. He akumatized himself to throw you off his tracks, but it’s him.”

 

Adrien gaped at the his former friend in horror. “Plagg? Why—?”

 

Plagg spun on him, glaring at him in a way the kwami never had before, even when Adrien upset him with his talks about Ladybug or the few times he denied Plagg cheese.

 

“The kwami are connected. We all knew the instant Nooroo was being used for evil purposes by Hawk Moth. Did you really think it would be any different for you?” The cat hissed. Not in hate, as Plagg never truly hated anything.

 

But anger?

 

Yeah, there was a heck of a lot of anger there.

 

"You were better than this." Plagg told him, so full of anger and hurt. "It should never have come to this. If you want to be stupidly optimistic, that's your choice, but I can't afford to be that hopeful."

 

"Plagg..."

 

“I’m not like Nooroo. I can't afford to be." The floating cat straightened and crossed his arms defiantly. "I am the Kwami of Destruction and Misfortune. I can cause more damage than some costumed kooks being summoned by a self-righteous puppet master if my user goes bad."

 

"Don't—"

 

But Plagg was not feeling that kind at the moment, nor inclined to hold back his rage for the sake of his former chosen. “DAMMIT ADRIEN, you KNEW better! Just because some sociopath told you to—”

 

“He’s my father!” Adrien shouted. Because Gabriel Agreste was his only family and the one person he was supposed to be able to trust.

 

“So you just obey him?”

 

“It would stop everything! Hawk Moth—he’ll stop if he does this!” Adrien insisted. Because more than anything, he had to believe that.

 

Or else what had he done all this for?

 

“ _Cats don’t bow to butterflies!_ ” Plagg hissed. “ _We **eat** them_.”

 

Adrien drew back in horror. “We don’t—I can’t. He’s my family! I just…I can’t just…” He cradled his head in his hands. “He’s all I have…”

 

“You had your friends.” Ladybug replied after silently standing witness this far, and oh god the sadness was so prevalent in her voice that he didn’t want look up to see it on her face as well. But he forced himself to stop hiding, because he had to face this. He had to make her understand!

 

“You had Plagg.” She continued, and it was all Adrien could do not to cry when he saw his kwami turn away in hurt.

 

“You had me.” For all that he may not have had her heart in the one way he wanted, she cared for him. Loved him like family and trusted him like no one else. And she showed it every time they were together in all the little ways she interacted with him. While she may have withheld the truth of her identity, she never withheld her time or affection.

 

It was one of the reasons he loved her so much.

 

~~And perhaps that was the worst part of it all...~~

 

“You had all these people who cared for you. Who would have done so much to help you if you had asked. Wasn’t that enough?”

 

He didn’t want to answer that. He didn’t need to, and it made it all the worse that she knew that. Because no, no they weren’t enough.

 

~~As much as he loved her, it still wasn't enough.~~

 

“I just…I just wanted to help her.”

 

Ladybug shook her head. “Chat—” She cut herself off because he wasn’t her partner anymore. “ _Adrien_. You know what it would mean to use both Miraculous this way. You know what it would do.”

 

“It’s for my mother!” He shouted, angry now. Because it was Ladybug and she always seemed to understand and care and forgive and move forward in all the ways that made him love her, so why was it different when it came to him? Where was that understanding?

 

~~How could he expect that of her? Because even he didn’t understand.~~

 

“It’s murder!” Ladybug bit back. “It doesn’t matter that it’s ‘for a good cause’ or involves magic making the necessary balance happen so you’re not technically the one doing it, you’re still exchanging one life for another! You’re still killing someone! You’re still trying to play god!”

 

So easy for her to say. She no doubt had two amazing parents who were still alive and loved her. “What if it was your mother?!” He demanded.

 

“She would never forgive me.” She replied flatly. “There wouldn’t be a day that goes by where she wouldn’t regret living at the cost of someone else. She would spend every moment agonizing and questioning and wondering who had to suffer because of her. For all that I could spare her from death, she wouldn’t LIVE. And that’s a burden I wouldn’t place on her, no matter how much I may miss her. If your mother is even half of the person you seem to think she is, she wouldn’t either.”

 

She was right. He knew she was right. But it hurt. It always hurt so damn much.

 

He couldn’t stop the tears from beginning to fall.

 

“Living is hard, Adrien. Especially for those left behind. But it’s a pain we have to carry—and not a burden to place on someone else.”

 

He knew that. Heaven help him, he knew that. But he needed to go through with it. He needed her back. He needed his father back. He needed his family. And it was cruel of him, but—

 

“If he does this, it’ll be over!” He insisted. Because he had no other recourse than to convince her and no other argument that could hope to appeal to her. “No more akumas! Everything can go back to normal!”

 

Her gaze became sad, and only more disappointed. “Not for the person sacrificed. Not for their loved ones. And not for us. It’s not our job to decide who deserves to live or die, Adrien. We help everyone. I thought…” She turned away. “I thought you believed that.”

 

He did. He _does_. But this was his life and didn’t he deserve to be selfish just for once?

 

But now she was walking away from him with Plagg floating close by, and it struck him that this was it. This was the end of his world as he knew it.

 

“Ladybug… _please_.” He begged. He wasn’t above begging. Not now when he was losing everything. His Lady. His kwami. His father. Any chance of saving his mother. Any hope of a happy life because how was he going to be able to live knowing he’d made this horrible choice—even if for good reasons—only to have it all be for nothing?

 

It was a lost cause and he knew it.

 

She paused, but didn’t look at him. It was like she couldn’t bring herself to, and that only hurt all the more. Because his betrayal was that deep, the damage that severe that not only could she not face him, she didn’t even want to acknowledge him as her partner anymore.

 

Was she sorry?

 

He couldn’t tell. Knowing her, she probably was, even though she couldn’t afford to be. And she certainly shouldn’t have to be.

 

This was his fault.

 

* * *

 

The fallout is swift and surprisingly lacking of fanfare.

 

No one knows just what happened, though there is much speculation that follows for even years afterward. Too many theories and claims begin floating around for people to be able to find any real truth. The only thing known is that Hawk Moth is gone for good now and the heroes are no longer needed. Perhaps it is out of kindness, or as one final act out of respect for their former partnership that Ladybug doesn't tell the truth of what Chat had done or Hawk Moth's identity.  ~~He doesn't know if that makes it better or worse.~~

 

Adrien doesn’t go to school the next day. Or that week. When he does finally return, he’s practically dead to the world. Everyone knows something is wrong but no one can get him to talk.

 

Gabriel Agreste’s mansion is burglarized. The culprit is never found. He tried to claim that Ladybug did it, but of course that’s preposterous. No one believes it.

 

Chat Noir disappears.

 

Ladybug follows.

 

Compared to all that, nobody really notices when a young girl quietly gives up on her dream in fashion and a silly crush on a boy far out of her reach.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry, folks. There is no happy ending after a betrayal here. I'm doing a different take on the scenario, because sometimes it's not that easy to set things right and forgive even if you understand the reasons.
> 
> I've seen this concept done multiple times where Adrien/Chat joins Hawk Moth and betrays Ladybug only to be quickly forgiven based on love or necessity and absolved of any fault for his actions in favor of pinning most if not all the blame on his father, ignoring the harm and multitude of injuries he had caused to Ladybug and Paris in the meantime or the fact that his actions during that time were still a result of his own willful choices. Regardless of his reasons, he still chose that path knowing full well what he was doing. This is a direct counter to what tends to happen if Marinette/Ladybug chooses that same act, even if it's on Adrien's behalf, which generally tends to lead to a lot more condemnation, much harsher reaction, greater unwillingness to forgive, and complete disgust from Adrien and Tikki regardless of her reasons, intent, or how much she may try not to cause harm in the process. Either way, the betrayal route is not okay, but it's hard to overlook the double standard.
> 
> That said, I have a tumblr now at nobodyfamousposts.tumblr.com. It's a recent creation and I'm still new to how it works, but please feel free to send me an ask. I may be posting excerpts there in the future.
> 
> Hopefully, the next update will be a happier one.


End file.
